No.1 Travel

On a recent trip to Hokkaido, we bumped into a slightly crazed Japanese woman who was planning a trip to Kyushu, just to sample the local ramen. She s not alone in her rabid lunacy. A quick glance at any Japanese travel brochure is all you need to recognize that this is a nation so devoted to its own cuisine that it ll go to extraordinary lengths to try it. As it s so impossible to imagine a British national heading all the way to Edinburgh purely for the haggis, we took a trip to Osaka s No.1 Travel in Nishi Umeda to find out more.

I ve been dying to ask this question for ages: What is more important to the Japanese tourist, ramen or anko?

It s difficult to choose but Ramen is originally from China, so it should be anko, I think!

I see. Well, since every city the length and breadth of the country specializes in anko, maybe we ought to establish which city has the best Eki-Bento ?

Tako-Meshi is the best, which is of Akashi, Hyogo.

Uh-huh. A Kansai fan, I see! So, how long have you been doing business here, and what areas of Kansai do you service?

We have been serving the foreign community for 23 years. Our office is located in Osaka near Nishi-Umeda station. We also have call centers for Kobe, Kyoto, Wakayama, Nara, Otsu, Matsuyama and Takamatsu.

Go on ?

We take care of airline discounted tickets, hotels, railway passes and rent-a-cars. We arrange travel plans for any destination and make suggestions in finding an inexpensive and convenient way for the customer to get to their destination.

??Your English is excellent! Can you speak Japanese too?

Of course! English, Japanese and Chinese.?

OK. Here s a toughy name your top 5 favorite destinations in Japan.

Okinawa, Hokkaido, Hiroshima, Kyoto, and Osaka of course.

Of course. What advice would you give to someone traveling in Kansai for the first time?

Check out Minami Shinsaibashi, if you want to go out for a drink and meet friendly Japanese people. Don t be afraid to try and use new words that you learned in Japanese, because people here love that. And contact No1 Travel if you want to travel outside the country!?

Youbetcha! Which are the most popular destinations for foreigners living in Japan?

The most popular places for foreigners right now are Southeast and Fareast Asia, but it also depends on the season. At Christmas, Australia and New Zealand are popular, while the U.S. Canada are popular during summer. People usually make their reservations 3 months before the actual departure date because the cheapest peak season tickets get sold out quickly for those destinations.

Thanks for the hint. Any hot specials you can tell the readers about for autumn and winter.

We usually have special sales around that season, so if you are planning to leave the country for a vacation, please keep checking our website for the best deals.

And finally, the most important question: Hakata Bijin or Akita Bijin?

Both are good, but the best is Kyoto Bijin!

What a surprise

No.1 Travel Osaka H.I.S. Co. LTD

7F Hanshin Sankei Sakurabashi Bldg.